Lyceum 2011 \\ Gaining Perspective
A Local | Global Rest Area
The American Desert plays a unique role in the psyche of the [American] road traveler. The irresistible sensation of isolation is precisely what draws people to this extreme landscape – for the sense of meaning, purpose, and utter freedom; to be at once the center of attention yet a trivial presence; to be the object which breaks the sky.
This competition proposal for a rest stop on the Bonneville Salt Flats seeks to express and reinforce the unique experiences of the American Desert through the use of distance, layering, and the manipulation of perspective. ‘Concrete’ sound- and visual-barriers establish a labyrinthine organization of spaces and paths, and cause the pedestrian to adjust quickly from the fast pace of the interstate. The tapering depths and heights of the barriers exaggerate perspective, and allow the user to experience the sensation of distance over a shorter length. As visitors continue through the maze, moving further from the interstate and their vehicles, they encounter a decreasingly orthogonal pattern. If their final destination is a lodge, they find their own intimate space, with an unhindered view to the horizon. A slow but sure progression, with both framed and happenstance views and vistas, succeeds in slowing both movement and experience down to an intimate level while maintaining the sensation of distance, perspective, and isolation in a [seemingly] infinite space.
This competition proposal for a rest stop on the Bonneville Salt Flats seeks to express and reinforce the unique experiences of the American Desert through the use of distance, layering, and the manipulation of perspective. ‘Concrete’ sound- and visual-barriers establish a labyrinthine organization of spaces and paths, and cause the pedestrian to adjust quickly from the fast pace of the interstate. The tapering depths and heights of the barriers exaggerate perspective, and allow the user to experience the sensation of distance over a shorter length. As visitors continue through the maze, moving further from the interstate and their vehicles, they encounter a decreasingly orthogonal pattern. If their final destination is a lodge, they find their own intimate space, with an unhindered view to the horizon. A slow but sure progression, with both framed and happenstance views and vistas, succeeds in slowing both movement and experience down to an intimate level while maintaining the sensation of distance, perspective, and isolation in a [seemingly] infinite space.
The desert - as one of the planet's most immovable, desolate objects - cannot be treated as a completely malleable substance, nor can it be approached with disdain or ignorance. This proposal seeks not to mask or lessen the effects of desert mentality. Rather, the unique and extreme qualities of perspective and horizon are embraced and used to create a unique experience. As the desert is incomprehensible at an extreme local scale, certain views and circulation corridors are framed in such a way as to instill as full an experience of the American Desert as possible, yet in far less space.
The salt flats present particularly unique color and planar qualities, which are both exaggerated and contradicted through the use of dark materials and perpendicular planes.
The salt flats present particularly unique color and planar qualities, which are both exaggerated and contradicted through the use of dark materials and perpendicular planes.
Wall Pattern
Submission Boards (orig. 11 x 17")
